#s16s8

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Would it be easier if we were all men?

Today, I had the privilege of having lunch with Bobbie Ridgely. It was utterly refreshing to be able to talk to her because of her passion for engineering, which I share, and her generally positive outlook on life. One thing that she brought up during our meal was that people often asked her if she thought things would be easier if we were all men. Her answer was slightly unexpected. I half thought she would emphatically agree that it would be easier, as I’ve heard so many say before. Instead, she thought that the answer to that question was based more on personal preference than fact. She thought that it was possible to “have it all” as a woman without having to make yourself more masculine or deny yourself the ability to have a family. At the same time, she never limited herself because of her gender. She didn’t think that having a family or trying to succeed in a career were specifically gendered traits. 

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Perseverance

In today’s plenary, Bobbie Ridgely told a story that I felt to be extremely poignant. When she was twelve, she crashed her father’s new pickup truck out of carelessness. Her father’s reaction was a series of questions. The first was “Is anybody hurt?” The second was along the lines of “Can you keep going?” So often, in my own life, I am faced with situations that seem impossibly bleak. For example, this semester has been academically and socially difficult for me. So often, I am overwhelmed and tempted to give up, but these questions offer a new perspective on these situations. From now on, I will ask myself the questions that Bobbie Ridgely’s father asked her because they highlight the transience of my problems and remind me that life goes on. I can either decide to be a part of it or miss out all together.